Dear DNC: I’d vote for a tent pole before I’d vote for Joe Biden
Addendum: After reading 250 of your comments in response to this post (below), I have had a change of heart. I still hate Biden. But I think I also hate this post. So I’ve written a new post, over here.
The Democratic Party’s strategy is Trump is so bad that the DNC can win with anyone. That’s why the DNC didn’t care when Hilary didn’t bother campaigning in Michigan or Wisconsin. That’s why the DNC doesn’t care that younger democrats hate Biden. The DNC is a club that meets to protect their own power. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortes reminds us of that all the time.
The DNC wants you to believe you are a virtuous person for voting for Biden because even if he’s not perfect you have to get Trump out of office. I think Biden is not nearly enough of an improvement to vote for him. And I think you throw away your vote if you let someone tell you the anyone-but-Trump rule means you vote for whatever is in front of you. That’s not choice.
Here’s why I’d never vote for Biden:
1. Biden has always been the conservative wing of the democrats. He has always been part of the conservative guard. It’s why Obama chose him as a running mate. It’s hard for racist white people to look at a Black candidate –– Obama picked him to counterbalance Obama’s Blackness. Biden as a VP made the ticket look ok. After all, what other Democrat was still in Congress in the 90s who had a track record for opposing busing?
2. Biden is the anti-#metoo candidate. He was the centerpiece of the congressional attack on Anita Hill. And he has been unable to apologize for his universally panned behavior. More recently he is accused of rape and he has been pictured violating the personal space of many women. While the #metoo movement has forced men to stop pushing aside these accusations, Democrats tell us that it’s so important to get Trump out of office that we have to push aside the accusations against Biden. If Trump is that bad, then the DNC surely could find a candidate who wouldn’t require us to brush aside rape accusations in order to vote for the candidate.
3. Biden is the anti-Black Lives Matter candidate. He is a moderate who was lifted up from his racist past by a black man. Biden did not get more liberal. He’s the same guy. Electing him is shifting the party to the right. At a time when the party is visibly shifting to the left. Additionally, Biden picked Kamala Harris without regard to the fact that Black people don’t trust her.
Tirkhakah writes, “The party’s leadership tells us to hold our noses and vote — a hollow, greater-good argument which is exactly why Black men don’t head to the polls.”
4. Biden wants things to stay the same. That’s why he picked Kamala Harris. She has an absolutely terrible record on criminal justice reform that in similar to Biden and Trump — those masters of refusing to apologize — she has refused to apologize for her bafflingly terrible record. So of course Biden hopes she will appeal to some Trump voters. Ironically, Obama picking Biden to appeal to racist voters is like Biden picking Harris to appeal to the Trump voters.
5. Biden and the DNC assume we’re trapped. The DNC thinks we hate Trump so much that we will support an unpopular, neo-liberal candidate with a history of very public racism and sexism. Biden hears goodwill toward Obama and he mistakes it for himself. I hate Biden so much because he’s been taking swipes at women and Black people for as long as I’ve been following politics. And I’m completely insulted that the Democratic Party thinks I believe Biden is an improvement over Trump.
We are not trapped. But we have to act like we have power. Our vote counts when we refuse to vote for Biden. We can refuse to support neo-liberalism because it could destroy our lives, our communities, and our earth.
Addendum: After reading 250 of your comments (below), I have had a change of heart. I still hate Biden. But I think I also hate this post. So I’ve written a new post, over here.
I can’t tell how serious this is, with statements like “I’m completely insulted that the Democratic Party thinks I believe Biden is an improvement over Trump” or “We can follow AOC and vote for Bernie.” AOC isn’t voting for Bernie. She’s voting for Biden. She wants you to, too. And while I agree with a number of your criticisms of Biden, it’s disturbing and disconnected from reality to think he wouldn’t be an improvement over Trump.
You make valid points about Biden and you can vote for whomever you like, but pretending voting for AOC or Bernie (or Jorgensen) is any better than voting for Mickey Mouse is delusional.
this is disgusting and is essentially a support of four more years of trump. I am finally unsubscribing after years of following you. I will not read you again.
I came in here to say the same thing. Thank you, NO!
Exactly my response. Her smug neurotic BS gives me the creeps… and this proves she’s only interested in her own ego. Fuck her. Penelope? Reading this?
I actually came here to say the same thing… but then I got her apology email. Super dumb post… followed by an almost tolerable apology. #peakwhiteprivilege
Disgusting? Why? How? What’s disgusting is that Biden’s son solicits prostitutes, is an illegal drug user and has profited tremendously by political favors and pay-offs by being hired by Russia for a job he has no qualifications for, a job that lined his pockets with millions, but the media either fails to report it or doesn’t care. His job was a political Pay-Off for his daddy. When he’s interviewed about his sordid past the CNN reporters show compassion on him
for his debauched law breaking as if the interview were a therapy session. That’s privilege and that’s disgusting.
Seriously, Biden’s son? Who cares? As if Trump’s corrupt sons are better? That’s not what matters here. You ARE following the stories about Russian influence in the elections. The Trump Administration is the most corrupt and dangerous in American history. A vote for anyone but Biden this year is a vote for Trump.
You are so misinformed-Biden son is on the payroll for a Russian energy company, for millions of dollars (he has zero credentials for the job…hmmm. a political payoff, you bet!) and now it’s been reported that he’s funding SEX TRAFFICKING. This is the ultimate communist globalist agenda and you sheep are gong to be seriously fleeced if these sicko’s get more power than they already have. Socialism is NOT trickledown economics. It’s power and ultimate control at the top. AOC sure Fu*ked New York when she so arrogantly claimed, “New York Doesn’t need Amazon.”
The HELL it DOESN”T!
Disgusting? Why? How? What’s disgusting is that Biden’s son solicits prostitutes, is an illegal drug user and has profited tremendously by political favors and pay-offs by being hired by Russia for a job he has no qualifications for, a job that lined his pockets with millions, but the media either fails to report it or doesn’t care. His job was a political Pay-Off for his daddy. When he’s interviewed about his sordid past the CNN reporters show compassion on him
for his debauched law breaking as if the interview were a therapy session. That’s disgusting.
What’s disgusting is anyone on here that is White is privileged and should take several seats. It’s not your moment. Be quiet- vote and stop the madness. I think none of our elected officials are perfect. Regular people solicit prostitutes and do drugs. It happens it’s bad and something should be done. So instead of being mad, do something. Not voting out 45? you are just as bad.
Biden’s son is not running for president. And what has Trump done that’s been illegal? Too many things to even list.
ME TOO!
Snap, also unsubscribed and wish that PT was honest – the reason she apologised was because of exodus – not considered comments/ changing her mind.
I absolutely agree that you shouldn’t vote for Biden, but don’t write in Bernie or Kanye. I’d say you should vote for Howie Hawkins (the Green Party nominee), and democrats down-ballot (except for Joe Machin). I don’t think Hawkins can win, but I think it’s important to show the Dems the votes they’re missing out on. Also, yes, this is literally letting Trump win to own the libs. I got it, you don’t have to write it in the comments.
I don’t want to go super into detail on my views here. I’m taking advice someone gave to me recently: Don’t make bad arguments for good things. This is a great piece of wisdom that would have helped Mom to have listened to, but whatever.
Capitalism is bad. We live in an age of technological marvels, and yet the most powerful nations in history have failed to provide millions of their own citizens with basic necessities. Homelessness, poverty, hunger. These things do not have to exist. They can be ended, but not under capitalism. We have a choice: Socialism or barbarism.
Before the Master Politics Understander who commented here, “Tell your son that capitalism is what’s keeping the lights on” blows a gasket, let me explain: I’m not talking about USSR PURGEPURGEPURGE stuff. Socialism is when the workers collectively own the means of production. For most of my life, I thought “Socialism is good in theory, but human nature ruins it”. But this is propaganda fed to us by people whose interests are diametrically opposed to economic equality.
Now, in the interest of not making a bad argument for a good thing, I would like to direct you to two books: The Communist Manifesto (duh) and Socialism: Utopian and Scientific. I’ve linked the audio that I listened to at the end of the post. These two books helped me understand the world from a new perspective, and I hope that they can do the same for you.
Yes, I did just tell you to spend nearly four hours listening to audiobooks on YouTube instead of making a detailed argument. One more thing: I don’t care if Cheeto Von Tweeto irreparably damages this country’s status as a global superpower. The United States has been a blight on the world since it’s inception. We are the bad guys. So I won’t shed any tears when this evil empire falls.
Links:
The Manifesto: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PdYLRTGmQ3c
Socialism: Utopian and Scientific: https://youtu.be/SsaSiQMRb1Q?t=3446 (the first hour is an intro that no one cares about)
You’re flat out wrong. Innovation doesn’t exist without capitalism. Socialism and communism destroy personal property, initiative and creativity.
Capitalism and innovation. Erie Canal — funded by the government. Like the Railroads — charted by Congress and financed by it? Early air travel funded by the innovation of airmail — government supported and stamps. Or you mean the internet, that existed for twenty years and grew with College dollars largely from state taxes. Sure innovation is part of Capitalism, but largely after the government seeds it into viability, as with space commercialism now. And all capitalism on government paid for roads. There is an alternative to socialism by deciding for compassionate capitalism. Like, most folks can afford to R & D a covid vaccine — let’s have the government seed it and it is. Why can’t one of the riches countries in the world share our medical expenses, make sure the poorest can eat, and pay CEO’s a little less to improve our infrastructure.
Oh my god, that’s so ridiculous. You’re saying no one has ever tried anything new, invented anything, created anything, without being financially motivated.
Boy, every single small business in existence started because the founders were tired of working for capitalists and wanted to conduct business on their own terms. They didn’t do it for money, because no one makes money in the first year or two of running a business, and most businesses fail in that time anyway. They do it for control and autonomy. They do it to scratch an itch or fill a need in their community. They do it for money, but that’s only because you can’t function without money in our society. But most of them would still do it for free if they didn’t need money.
Every artist who has ever been successful succeeded because they cared more about making great art than they did about money. Because you don’t make money as an artist until you’ve spent years and years grinding and perfecting your craft for no money. Then you have to sell it it and market yourself, but most artists would rather not do that part if they could get away with it.
And most inventors have no concept of how money works at all. They are too busy trying to invent flying toasters.
No, I think you are probably a person who doesn’t understand creativity or innovation, and is mostly focussed on personal property since it’s all you got.
Yefet. Your words struck me. My son (18) is a senior in college (a political science student, he started college early) and has been a believer of this ideology for years now, and through lengthy talk after talk, he changed my conservative, middle aged, fear driven beliefs to that of socialist…not yet communist. He has studied Marx and Lenin (book after book) and believes that we have to fall and build back for the people by the people and not the 1% and their companion oligarchs. He said if we want real change let Trump win, and I was horrified. I, embarrassingly, chalked these ideas up to college exuberance, but unfortunately we are living this Trump nightmare and masks have come off (no pun intended). Thank you for this post, thank you for validating an unpopular yet very relevant idea.
The aspect of capitalism that increases inequality is when increasingly income is derived from assets (shares, interest, property) as opposed to productive labour and initiative (T. Piketty, Capital in the 21st Century).
Why is it a nightmare with Trump president?
For starters? Administrative incompetence in running the country generally, along with personal incompetence as a unifying national leader because of racism, xenophobia, sexism, homophobia, self-dealing, callous lack of compassion for the less fortunate, and lack of intellect. I could go on.
I’m just going to be honest. I don’t think any of those things are accurate. I think he has done an excellent job running the country, standing for liberty as the founders intended (small government, etc.), not racist one bit, nor any of the other things. He stood up for Amanda Knox, a stranger who was in a less fortunate miscarriage of justice. I think you have him pegged wrongly and are parroting what the media has invented. Why does the media invent this perspective? Because they are in the service somehow of an agenda to socialize the US in the way of a global trajectory.
Anna, you are spot on! Trump has done so many good things for the country but the media bashes him no matter what he does. When he said NO flights from China it was Xenophobia! Now he didn’t act fast enough.
Did you know Karl Marx, who wrote the Communist Manifesto, was a huge bigot? Blacks, Jews, Asians, Indians, he hated them all. Are you going to uphold the philosophies of a bigot?
The Communist Manifesto was written by a very racist white man, in case you didn’t know.
Hell yes, tell ’em, Yefet.
True, but writing in Bernie is basically a vote for Trump. Even AOC said she will be voting for Biden.
Okay. I a big error. I’m sorry about the AOC/Bernie stuff. I deleted all the AOC stuff. You’re right. She is voting for Biden. I am wrong on the stuff I wrote at the end of the post. Blah. It’s hard to be right on political stuff. But I still hate Biden. And I still won’t vote for him. I voted for Hilary last time, still hating her, but hating Trump more, and I do not feel like a good soldier for doing that. I feel like a stupid person for dealing with the DNC.
Penelope
Stupid for dealing with the DNC? The voters brought Biden here. Not the DNC. Writing in Bernie is allowing Trump, a far worse factor, to continue to damage this nation.
You’re obviously too caught up in petty, misguided spite to look into what you’re writing and what’s happened to this nation; the environment, animals, healthcare, and pandemic handling and more.
Nothing should make you feel more stupid than your comments here. It’s atrocious and utterly irresponsible.
Right? The DNC does not have a lot of power. It’s Black voters that gave us Biden. I suggest Penelope talk with Jim Clyburn.
Oh and this stuff about Biden being bad on crime is a sign of a terrible memory for a Gen-Xer.
1. The crime bill was critical to Bill Clinton’s election, and it was supported by a majority of the Congressional Black Caucus. You do remember Bernard Goetz don’t you? You do remember the sense that crime was out of control? You do remember that carjacking was invented around that time? I lived in Chicago then, in a poor, violent neighborhood. It was the most violent period in the city’s history (over 900 murders) and people were frightened.
2. The main thing it did was fund more police officers and reinforce the death penalty. That’s bad, of course, but it was for FEDERAL crimes. The vast majority of incarceration is not Federal. Until recently there had not been a Federal execution since 2003. Those recent ones were championed by Bill Barr.
3. The worst excesses of the nineties incarceration crazy was at the state level. 28 states passed “three strikes” laws. Including California. California rolled that back in 2012 via citizens initiative. You know who supported that initiative? Kamala Harris. She also started a diversion program for first time offenders and declined to pursue life sentences.
Say it lounder for the people in the back, D! It drives me crazy how people forget the support Clinton had for that bill. Sadly, not only were we in the mist of a “war on drugs”, but Democrats were desperate to look like they were tough on crime in order to win and/keep seats.
Remember what happened to Michael Dukakis’ campaign after the Willie Brown ad?
Unfortunately, no one predicted how these laws and the sentences they carried would be unfairly applied?
I think this is an immature decision and a vote for Trump. You’ll be waiting a long-ass time to find someone perfect for you. You don’t have to love him. You don’t have to love Harris. But Trump is killing us and will continue to kill us. My son is a political science professor and teaches American Politics in Canada. He can’t even fathom a liberal American NOT voting for Biden. I started protesting for our rights as a child and taught my children to fight for what is right. If Joe wins it opens the door to those such as OAC. If Trump wins that sets us back 4 or 8 years. And you will be partly to blame.
What I’m trying to say here is that Trump is bad but so is Biden. They both promote a government that has been, for the last 40 years creating a gap between rich and poor that grows bigger and bigger. The only difference is that Biden had more power to stop it than trump did. They both have a record of treating women poorly, they both have a record of going out of their way to make life hell for black people. Neither of them can change the fact that people in the US have too many personal rights for the US government to fight Covid the way every other country fought Covid. Maybe your son who teaches American Politics should make a list of substantive differences in the outcomes of the public lives of the two men over the last forty years. I don’t think there will be a lot.
But the public relations efforts from the DNC are unbelievable. The virtue signaling: good people vote for Biden. Terrible people vote for Trump.
I am not a terrible person for telling you that the difference between Trump and Biden is not as big as you would like it to be.
Penelope
I’m no fan of the conservative wing of the Dem Party, to put it mildly. But I cannot fathom your, or anyone’s, equating Biden with Trump.
At the very least, Biden is sane, and not fueled by hate, pettiness and vengefulness, which is more than we can say of the man your withheld vote will abet in his quest for re-election.
However much I disagree with Biden’s politics, I see no reason whatsoever to believe he’d subvert the Constitution as Trump has, strive to abolish any semblance of the rule of law (even as imperfectly as it has existed so far, class- and race-bound as the law is under Capitalism), strive to destroy the separation of Church and State and the separation of powers, profit himself at any cost to the country, commit treason, undermine science, make daily statements that lack even so much as a colorable basis in fact, whip up hatred that leads to increased fear, danger and death for people of color, immigrants, non-hetero normative people, Jews and others…or do any of many other things Trump has done, and continues to do, to subvert our country and its people, to thwart every ideal and aspiration as we struggle toward making the country one that fulfills its promise, and its promises.
I also wonder whether, if it was your own children that were being taken from you by Trump, or if you had less privilege and were therefore among those most affected, even destroyed, by Trump’s policies, you’d see a difference between the two men.
These are not abstract differences between them, however far from our politics Biden and the conservative wing still in power in the DNC may be.
For many people all over the world (because U.S. policies do not affect only those of us in the U.S.), it is the difference between them or their family members living or dying, between their children thriving or withering, and quite possibly between the planet itself surviving or perishing.
I am still disgusted by what I believe the DNC did to Bernie (twice) and many other Progressive candidates. Again, I am no fan.
But if Biden is not elected, we may never get the chance to continue the work that Bernie, AOC and the Squad– and the many, many others, now and throughout our country’s history– are doing and have done in many capacities as fighters on all fronts for true democracy, and against racism, sexism, gender and other discrimination and injustice of all kinds,
We may instead be in a country we don’t even recognize, because it CAN happen here– and, as with the Black Panther Party and other sixties groups, we may wind up not fighting to move forward, but frantically throwing all our Movement’s resources toward the fight for the survival of the Movement and its members.
“…they both have a record of going out of their way to make life hell for black people. ”
This is obviously true for Biden based on his history in politics over the past 40 years.
However, how do you see this about Trump? Under Trump Black unemployment was at a record low and I don’t believe there is anything in his past actions that was negative towards blacks.
Do you have specific and concrete evidence to back this claim?
Penelope, I have been following you for 20 years. We met once in Austin.
I’m sorry your preferred candidate didn’t get the nomination. Mine didn’t either. It’s a bummer.
Right now, we have a binary choice: either Trump will get re-elected, or Biden will get elected. That’s it. That’s the choice.
You are fortunate enough to make your choice and cast your ballot. 170,000+ of your fellow Americans will not be able to cast their vote, because they are dead. They didn’t have to be. My vote is going to the alternative to what we have today, which is marked by death, mismanagement, corruption, global ridicule, etc. Most of it is not great.
If you think Trump will manage the next four years better than Biden, go that direction. That’s your choice. Personally, I can’t. I’d rather have a good human being as the captain of this ship, who will bring some normalcy back to the office.
But don’t kid yourself: your ballot matters, it’s an electorate almost exactly divided by half, and by not choosing one of the candidates, you’re actually making a choice for the other.
Or to put it in business terms, since that’s what you sometimes write about: you are a shareholder, and you get to decide who the next company CEO is. The Board has vetted and nominated two candidates. You’ll need to pick one – but an abstention may be cast with the majority. Is that what you want?
Bart–Concur.
No one individual, President or Vice President has the power to do anything alone. There are three branches of government for a reason. It is congress who passes bills to become laws. It is congress who appropriates funding for programs. Pointing fingers and playing the blame game will go nowhere. I will be focusing more on my state and local goverment. I never vote in any other elections than the General election. I realized I need to vote for my state officials who serve in congress on my behalf by representation. Thats how We the People are represented at the Federal Level. For real change, Start Locally. I believe in the American People. Not the DNC or the RNC.
Preposterous. As much as I despise Penelope’s politics, she can vote for who she is inspired to vote for, or vote for no one if she thinks the difference in impact will be insignificant. If the guy in the White House was Hitler, I’d agree that the other candidate must be voted for at any cost. I know so many people in this comment section and on Twitter think he is Hitler, but thankfully there are people that have more sense. Also consider that if Biden wins, the DNC has no incentive to change. Voting for him isn’t the moral obligation you think it is.
Sweets/ ya gotta learn sum civics.
The GOP ticket is not good enough for punching
Hope you’re voting in Massachusetts. Essentially you’re voting for Trump, Penelope.
The most BS part of this whole post is that originally you said something like ‘if it’s good enough for AOC it’s good enough for me’ – but you don’t care what AOC or Bernie thinks at all do you? They are voting for Biden and while you’ve removed that section – it’s clear that you don’t respect AOC/Bernie at all – you won’t follow their good example. Do you really think you know better than they do? The people you are SO disappointed aren’t on the ballot? Bernie pleaded for us to vote for Biden but you don’t care?
i hope the rnc is compensating you for your assistance with their campaign. this is a shocking post–even from you. children in cages, support for neo-nazis and white supremists, collusion with russia against american interests, more than we yet know about involvement with sex trafficing and pedophilia, military attacks on peaceful protesters…blatant denial of climate change and reversal of climate and peace accords, collusion with foreign dictators, rudeness and divisiveness with our allies, diminishing our reputation internationally–we are a joke. mismanagement of covid crisis so bad we don’t yet even realize. the subsequent loss of life, loss to economy, millions of people. families. life as we knew it cancelled with no return to normalcy in the forseeable future…what else? to go through this
laundry list is too exhausting. it is actually not the moment for progressives who could not be elected. trump’s base is real and not a minority. not mythical animals. we have to do this first. what if it was hitler? would you vote for biden? hindsight 20/20. ??? you are aiding and abetting a domestic terrorist and enemy of us. he will do all he can to prevent an honest election…if he manages to upset the election and retain office, watch out. shit’s about to get really real. not in a good way. you are on the wrong side of history and i hope you lose. on this–love you forever in all other ways. namaste!
Why do you think anyone cares about your political views? When you wrote about career coaching, you were somewhat interesting. Now, your dive into topics so far outside of your knowledge area is disturbing. It’s as if you think you’ll sway opinions with your egotistical drivel. Maybe it’s time to pivot and just focus on things you know about personally, home schooling and divorce.
So you’re voting for Trump? How does that even make sense? Mr. Grab Em by the pussy? Good people on both sides? It’s either Biden or Trump. Your argument is hard to understand. /Tracey
It’s hard for me to understand too. But I’m refusing to be told it’s either Biden or Trump. There is no reason we have to have a two-party system. There is no reason rich people have to own our political system. I don’t buy the scare tactics that I can’t advocate for big change because that makes me crazy. And I don’t buy that I can’t advocate for big change unless I have it all planned out. No one has ever had a big change all planned out. That’s a tactic the establishment uses to make outsiders look stupid.
Penelope
The reason we have a 2 party sumystem is because most voting rights and regs are assigned to the STATES in our Constitution. And 14 of the states have closed primaries. NY, PA, and FL are 3 of them. In a closed primary state you only get to vote for candidates running in your registered party. If there are none, you don’t get to vote. So you are showing your lack of Constirutional knowledge. How foolish that makes you look.
From the Wikipedia entry Political Parties in the United States:
“The United States Constitution is silent on the subject of political parties. The Founding Fathers did not originally intend for American politics to be partisan. In Federalist Papers No. 9 and No. 10, Alexander Hamilton and James Madison, respectively, wrote specifically about the dangers of domestic political factions. In addition, the first President of the United States, George Washington, was not a member of any political party at the time of his election or throughout his tenure as president. Furthermore, he hoped that political parties would not be formed, fearing conflict and stagnation, as outlined in his Farewell Address.”
Your political science sherpa,
Penelope
Remember the independent candidate Anderson from 1980? Of course not. I voted for him because I was sick of the two party system choices. I feel like I accomplished nothing by doing that. From that point on vowed to never vote independent.
Is this a rollback of your understanding white privilege thing? Because Black women voted overwhelmingly for Biden.
I get your love of AOC, but she represents one, ultraliberal district. I’ll believe she’s for real when she can win statewide office (like Kamala did twice).
Appeals to the what young people think is shortsighted. They didn’t show up for Bernie in the primaries, why would they show up in the general.
Democrats have been talking about the youth vote since Bill Clinton. Remember Rock the Vote? The NEVER turn out except in 2008.
People like you are why we got W — people preferred to vote Ralph Nader to make them feel good about themselves and never considered that, you know, the president has the power to take us to war.
Here are some actual ways to make that change to the establishment and change the ways thing work:
-Get rid of first pass the post elections (this is why we have two parties and will have 2 parties until it’s abolished)
-Get rid of the electoral college
-Get rid of the filibuster
Those are places to change the establishment and actually make a difference here. This, just isn’t. Or should I say, won’t.
No matter how much you hate Biden or how many articles you link about his flaws, or how much you insist that you have another choice, the next president will either be either Trump or Biden.
Definitely. We need some version of ranked choice voting and broad election reform, such as nationwide vote by mail. I’ve voted by mail for years and it’s fantastic because it lets you take the time to research candidates and issues.
Also, DC statehood and maybe Puerto Rico too. The right has an asymmetrical advantage in the senate and electoral college.
If you want to protest the system, choose a better time for it. Knowingly allowing Trump – and the Republicans – to win by voting and encouraging others to vote for someone else than Biden as a sign of protest, because the other candidate is old and too neoliberal, well it’s just plain stupid at this point. Why can’t you protest the two-system-party at another time? As someone already wrote, trump will set us — and by that I mean the world, not just your country — by 4-8 years. The earth doesn’t have that much time! Haven’t you heard about the climate catastrophe? Read the IPCC reports. It’s getting worse much faster than we thought. Did you know about all the environmental policies Trump is changing? Like allowing lead? Who cares if he poisons children, when Biden hasn’t apologized for #metoo, right? Or trying to start a war with Iran? With Biden there is at least a chance that he won’t do half of the idiotic and freakishly dangerous things to fuck with the whole earth, plus there are other Democrats who get to govern and set new policy, who are probably more fit than the Republican destroy-it-all-but-cut-my-taxes candidates. Maybe the EPA will be lead by a reasonable person. Maybe there will be liberal Supreme Court justices. And most importantly – do not give Trump more time to set democracy years back by changing and ignoring a whole bunch of laws like he does already and in worst case finding a loophole to stay forever like he openly says he would. It’s not just Biden or Trump you are voting in, but a whole future and sometimes this means sucking it up, being a realist, weighing the losses and picking the lesser evil. I am from Europe and a majority really hopes the Americans make the right choice this time and don’t get distracted by the lazy arguments of “they are both the same”. No they aren’t. The Democrats never go this far in destroying things. Inform yourself. And write another post, I beg of you.
*Sorry for all the mistakes, typing in a hurry is never good, just like voting on a whim :)
“No one has ever had a big change all planned out.” Suffrage. Civil Rights. Yep, no planning going on there.
Maybe you should think about who you are putting in danger with your decision to throw your vote away.
Or who you are putting in danger if you vote for Biden. Americans aren’t the only people on the planet who matter. Iraqi’s and Afghans have suffered for decades as a result of U.S. foreign policy under Obama/Biden as has Yemen and most recently the Palestinians as a result of the crappy deal that Biden took credit for between Israel and the UAE.
Did you listen to Obama’s speech last night? You *can* advocate for change. People have for centuries. But, things are severely at risk right now. Let’s get over the hurdle in front of us first.
“But I’m refusing to be told it’s either Biden or Trump.”
Do you honestly think there is *any* possibility that for this election somebody other than Biden or Trump has *any* chance of winning? That’s preposterous. The two-party system may suck, but it’s not going to change between today and next November. Any action you take will contribute in some way to either a Biden or Trump win. And saying “Trump is bad, but so is Biden” is like saying “Nuclear fallout is bad, but so is sunlight”.
Getting up and slamming the door as you leave will go nowhere. I do not care for the structure of government, entirely. We have a three party political system: Republican, Democratic, Independent. Go back through history there have been other parties at various times. Even the current republicans are saying the republican party has changed under Donald Trump in a way leading to Authortarianism.
Bottom line: To Change the System you must Participate.
It seems to me that this time the choice boils down to the difference between fascism and democracy – the candidates are the public face. It would be a great thing to head more toward progressive aspirations however the Trump-train is heading toward an authoritarian regime – so if that choice wins in November doubt there will be a next time to vote.
A follow up…yes, I know you said you are writing in Bernie, but he will not win. Send your message some other way. I’ve done the write-in thing myself and it doesn’t accomplish anything. Better to get Biden and then campaign your a$$ off for AOC or whomever. I can’t take 4 more years of the division and hate that the current president tweets out on a daily basis. Use your vote in a way that it will count the most. Please reconsider throwing it away to make a short lived point.
AOC isn’t voting for Sanders, she has stated that she is voting for Biden in Nov.
True!
That’s it. I’m done. Another deliberately provocative post to up your numbers. What, you need to redo your media kit to justify your rates? Or you’re trying to reclaim lost ground? So sure, maybe your traffic numbers might go up temporarily but I’d bet your subscriber numbers will go down. I know I’m out. Best of luck to you in your Blog Troll career.
Exactly. I’ve had it with this childish blog of misguided tantrums. Illogical emotional outpourings of ineffectual rubbish. We have so many critical issues in front of us; Covid handling, climate change, animal and environmental protection and long list of immediately imposing factors.
But sure, we should afford Trump to do our nation double the damage and take us backward just out of personal, childish spite for the DNC. As if the DNC forced Biden into the party nominee instead of the voting public.
Penelope has lost all rational scope and I’m thoroughly disgusted.
What are you talking about? I don’t have a media kid. I don’t even have advertising. I don’t have traffic numbers. Believe me, no one is making money from posts that make their readers mad about politics. Are you kidding me? The only people who make money from political posts are people who preach to the choir. And my readers are probably 85% voting for Biden. So this post is like a death wish for me. It took me two weeks to get enough nerve to publish it. And even when I did, I published and old draft because I have like 50 drafts in Word Press. It actually takes a lot of guts to piss people off if you care about your readers.
Penelope
Wow, I think we all need to stop a second and at least admire the courage being demonstrated here. Setting Trump aside and taking a close look at Biden is something not many of us have done or are willing to do…. And setting aside our own opinions to be challenged by the opinions of others is also rare— because it’s so uncomfortable… This is why I hate the internet – it’s so easy to gang up on someone for merely having an unpopular opinion even if it’s an educated opinion. But for me, I appreciate seeing other points of view so I can then decide based on having more information and more points of view
I think anyone who subscribed to Penelopes blog is open to seeing things from other points of view. That is not the point here. The point is not voting or voting for anyone other than Biden is a bit for Trump. PERIOD.
*vote not bit
*vote not “bit”
I agree with you. And I think I like “bit” better!
Well said Gary
I lived in AOC’s district when she got elected and was happy to see a fresh face get the vote….until I found out how much hollow space she has between her ears.
She drove out 10s of thousands of jobs from her own district when she pushed Amazon out of the city and many voters in her own district can’t stand her. She does not care about people in her district, only about her social media.
I’ve followed you since 2010, and love your stuff. You inspired me to quit my job and start a business…but this AOC stuff is a bit much. The girl has the IQ of a 7 year old if that. It’s an insult to women in America someone with so little intelligence represents in Congress.
Agree. AOC is a blithering idiot.
Yea I don’t think AOC is an upgrade at all. There are many others on the left with strong policies that will actually get through.
That’s it. I’m done. Another deliberately provocative post to up your numbers.
Yes, +100.
Maybe I watch too much news……I truly hope This is Not the Last Time we Are Allowed to VOTE
No. No. & No.
Still – its simply undeniable that absolutely anything is guaranteed to be better than Trump. Sigh.
I’ll hold my nose and vote for Biden. If we get another 4 years of Trump, it’ll be because of thought processes like this.
Precisely. Well said.
Agree one million percent.
Agreed, 100%. There will be nothing worse for this country than another 4 years of Trump.
Exactly. The time to complain or defy that we have a two party system was well before now. At this point, the election goes to Trump or Biden. You know as well as we do that voting green is a vote for Trump, and the problem is you are wealthy and privileged enough for it to not affect you nearly as much as low income and minority communities. You posted recently about your support for black communities in Boston during the 4th with the fireworks in your area. This is how you prove you actually care. Even though Biden isn’t my preferred candidate, I will vote to remove Trump and hopefully stop the horrific policies his administration is pushing. If you really believed Trump was a better choice for our government, then fine. But to allow him another 4 years of this dumpster fire just so you can be self satisfied while other people struggle is reprehensible.
AOC supports and is voting for Biden. She was asked by the DNC to second the Sanders nomination, so she did. It was a procedural thing for the party. But, as she herself has stated, she’s voting for Biden.
Writing in Sanders won’t hurt the DNC at all, won’t teach them a lesson, won’t reform the party or the system, won’t help one single person.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/jackbrewster/2020/08/19/no-aoc-isnt-voting-for-bernie-sanders/#65d4d03718f9
Wow.. I so disagree. The stakes are way too high at this point. We already wasted 4 years with the current president. Another 4 years and we will be drilling in national parks.
Drilling in our National Parks, and our City Parks
“…refuse to support neo-liberalism because it could destroy our lives, our communities, and our earth.” Trump and the Republicans are already destroying our lives, communities, and our earth. Even if the candidate isn’t everything you would want, he is better than what we’ve got.
It would be funny if it werent so disastrous to vote for, or allow trump to become president again. He literally is worse off with everything that you listed – and those arent even his bad points.
I believe that the way to understand modern society is with Three Layer theories. For instance, Curtis Yarvin proposes our society is composed of Gentry, Commoners, and Clients.
In this theory you, Penelope, are educated Gentry that believes in a coalition with Clients to oppose “racist white people” that won’t vote for a Black person. But I would say that your “racist white people” are in fact ordinary middle-class Commoners that just want to live ordinary lives. Maybe they voted for Barack Obama as I did.
There’s another Three Layer theory that I got from Matt Taibbi. It sees society as “oppressed peoples” and their “allies” united against “white oppressors.” This seems closer to your understanding of society, Penelope. Its truth depends on the belief that the “allies” are really allies of “oppressed peoples.” In my belief, the “allies” are educated Gentry that are using “oppressed peoples” as cannon fodder in their quest for political and cultural power and domination over the Commoners.
I wonder which of us is right?
See, I believe that the Age of Politics is over, and that the left and the political agenda of the educated Gentry is a Great Reaction, a lurch back to the primitive, where socialism is a return to slavery, the welfare state is a return to feudalism. I believe activism is a return to medieval knight-errantry — hey there Don Quixote! — and reparations is neo-vengeance.
But you may disagree.
Penelope is part of the 9.9% – https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2018/06/the-birth-of-a-new-american-aristocracy/559130/
That’s funny. I saw that article and immediately saw myself in that article. I think about it all the time. I notice people in that 9.9% all the time.
Penelope
This is sad – and so thirsty.
Even AOC is voting for Joe Biden. So yes, “If it’s good enough for AOC it’s good enough for me.” My heart will always be with Elizabeth Warren, but I’m not going to be a crybaby and doom us to another four years of literal pestilence and race war because of it. Do you really feel like COVID-19 will be solved in the hands of Donald Trump? Do you *not* think that Biden/Harris can get us closer to a solution on that?
Hope no one actually gets sucked in by this hilariously bad, clickbait-driven advice. Oh, and your privilege is showing. It must be nice to be able to throw away your vote because you can afford to keep your kids tutor-ed up and occupied with cello lessons and visions of top-tier schools dancing in their heads while the rest of the country burns.
My only hope is that you’ve switched your voter registration to Massachusetts so that the rest of us can cancel you out and your vote truly will be thrown away.
Hope you’re voting in Massachusetts. Essentially you’re voting for Trump, Penelope.
Just unsubscribed.
You threaten our only chance to remove Trump.
the message of this post is so ignorant that it makes sense you would vote for Trump. He feeds on ignorance
I have to say that I have been subscribing to your blog for years and love the authenticity of it. I am really disturbed by this. We are in a moment and a movement right now and if we do not get this man in the White House our of the White House…. more people will die. I have lost 15 people in my circle and my extended circle has lost even more. My own chair of my resource and development committee at my organizations board just lost his father in law to Covid. We cannot continue on like this with multiple pandemics- COVID and racial injustice. When you encourage people to vote by writing in Bernie’s name is just flat out wrong at this point. That equates to White supremacy and i would like to think you are woke but this makes me think you may not be. At this point- we need to vote these two individuals in and hold their feet to the fire and hold them accountable. She messed up on criminal justice reform? Knock her door down to ensure it’s fixed. Lobby for criminal justice reform. But to not vote? Almost makes me sick. Because even if you write in Bernie’s name / that just means you vote for the other side and he will thank you profusely if he wins. Not every candidate will be someone you love and they surely won’t be saints or perfect. And most of us haven’t a clue what it’s like sitting in their shoes. But you are part of the democratic problem today and you keep my people in this sick cycle if you can’t get over the fact that Bernie isn’t the nominee. Move on. And Fight for justice. But anything less then voting for Biden Harris right now is insanity. You will be labeled a white Supremacist even if you aren’t and I won’t be able to support your work any longer. Please vote. Don’t do this to the future of this country.
You bring up two really important points:
1. Racial disparities in COVID. This is due to racial disparities in healthcare. Which goes back to slavery. As a Congressman, Biden has heard data from the Black Caucus for *decades* without making an attempting to close the gap in healthcare outcomes. He is no leader in this particular field. No one in the DNC has done a good job in healthcare disparities. So I’m not sure why the DNC is telling us they are now the team to beat. In fact, in this whole wide country I would guess (maybe I’m wrong) the city that has the biggest change in disparities is Boston. And that’s due to Mitt Romney in the 80s. And he’s Republican.
2. The DNC implies it can fight COVID differenty, but it cannot. We are losing the battle because of our privacy rights. Bill Gates has already said he’ll fund everything we need to fight Covid. He set it all up in Seattle to run a test. And he had to shut it down because it violates patient rights. US case law has established patient rights in a way that we have no idea if they would be violated if we set up Covid tracking under an emergency action. Here is a link to read about the leagl problem. You can google the Bill Gates stuff.
https://iapp.org/news/a/covid-19-response-and-data-protection-law-in-the-eu-and-us/
The point is that the DNC just spew BS about doing a better job than Trump at dealing with Covid. I’m not say Trump is a good guy. He’s crazy. But we have bigger problems than Trump when it comes to Covid. Our history of individualism, liberties, and privacy makes working as a collective to beat the pandemic very difficult in the US. It’s a problem that is unique to this country, not to this president.
Penelope
I actually didn’t need this so called history lesson especially as a back woman as it pertains to slavery and healthcare. COVID is just one piece of the chaos right now. There is no national strategy vaccine or not. And I’d vote for an Animal over the devil in the White House any day. But im not voting for an animal but for Biden and Harris. Most people who are in the house and senate are not saints…. and there is no ONE saint who serves is. This is bigger than COVID and if you don’t understand that then you need your own history on voting rights acts. For me and my people as a black woman? I vote because people died for it. My sorority sisters marched in 1914 in the suffrage march in fighting for voting rights for women. If you do NOT vote – you are voting for the devil in the WH and White supremacy. If you write in your VOTE you are voting for the devil in the WH and white supremacy. Instead of complaining- do something. So I don’t need the semi history lesson. I’m over the conversation. I’m over the complaining about the DNC. If you Voted for obama?? You voted for Biden. So changing your time in 2020… is null and void. Like I said- I’d you do not vote- I transition out of supporting your work which I have come to adore so much. I wish you well. Hopefully, you will do the good work and fright for things that are important to you instead of complaining in your blog. Get out and do something.
Agree with Kita. I cannot continue to support Penelope’s work with the stakes this high.
Actually you don’t “have bigger problems than Trump when it comes to Covid’, look around the world and even closer, to your neighbours next door. Leadership can make a difference. The USA used to be the shining light in the darkness, not so much anymore.
That’s the bottom line….We are at a turning point and have to shift!!!!!
Penelope, you are so wrong. We don’t have to invade privacy rights. A competent president could come up with a solid national plan, where states don’t have to outbid each other just to get basic medical equipment, testing supplies, etc. Nothing in any privacy law prevents the president from doing so. Shit, just getting supplies to the right places could have saved so many American lives. Just one example, but you should see where I’m going with this.
Penelope, you are so wrong. We don’t have to invade privacy rights. A competent president could come up with a solid national plan, where states don’t have to outbid each other just to get basic medical equipment, testing supplies, etc. Nothing in any privacy law prevents the president from doing so. Shit, just getting supplies to the right places could have saved so many American lives. Just one example, but you should see where I’m going with this.
Your vote doesn’t have to be, nay, shouldn’t be about the next four years – those four years are already screwed no matter what happens. Think about the four years after that, and the four years after that…
Totally agree. Very disappointing post. I agree with you on a lot of the major issues Penelope, all of the problems you listed with Biden are absolutely on point. Yet to compare him with Trump and his utter disregard for democracy I think is misguided. It strikes me as a naive and a
very white perspective. Also please don’t compare it to black men who have been locked out of the voting system for decades do to disenfranchisement. Yes the DNC was hoping for this outcome but ultimately it was voters, black voters who pick Biden. I love Elizabeth Warren, but neither she nor Bernie nor anyone else could gather enough support. To choose to disregard who black women have picked and instead helped Trump with your vote seems petty and profoundly privileged.
Please reconsider. I get what you’re saying but this is dangerous thinking. We can’t have another four years of this.
Wow, Penelope that is probably the most naive post I have read from you. The good news is you have many fellow left travellers who can’t see the woods for the trees. If there is one thing left/extreme left voters and parties have become incredibly good at across many countries, it’s standing on principles that ensure they don’t get elected. In recent times, NZ, Australia and the UK would be excellent examples.
As an Australian maybe my comments are irrelevant, but I’ve worked across the States for a large part of the past 25 years, I too am amazed, that given the vast membership of the DMC, Biden was the best they could come up with…although the stupid debate selection process ensured it. Surely, there were others who better represented the broad church of Democrats? However, given Trump’s actions right now in trying to break the voting in the next election, think about what he would do if he won, and had four more years. …the first thing would be to remove term limitation..and if you think that would be impossible, you’re underestimating his evil ways.
Ohhh, so strongly considering unsubscribing. I enjoy your writing, but today you really crossed a line. You wrote about characteristics of each candidate that you didn’t like. Personally, I think Biden is so much better than Trump, but clearly not perfect. I do think he’s learned that the world has moved on since some of his past mistakes, and he’s moved on with it. Not Trump. But here’s what really gets me: after 8 years of Obama and Biden, our country was in better shape than we are now. After 3.5 years of Trump, we are CRUMBLING, and worse, ATTACKING EACH OTHER. So throw your vote away, help Trump win, and we will all slide further into oblivion together so you can feel good about “making your point” instead of choosing the best option for your fellow citizens.
Okay. So my ending wasn’t as strong as I wished it had been. What I want to get across is that they are both awful. Just terrible. And we are a complete failure as a country. We have are a terrible example of extreme capitalism, extreme rich/poor gap, extreme stratification. Biden and Trump both support the status quo, they support making sure rich people stay rich. They have been making sure rich people stay rich for the last 40 years.
What is most scary to me is that when Trump is President we are all really upset about all this. When Biden is President it’s like someone gave us a pill and we sit back and relax. So in that way, Biden is more scary.
Penelope
Will you sit around relaxing? No they aren’t awful. The devil in the White House is awful. Comparing them is a mute point.
Your views are absurd. If you’re incapable of seeing policy and procedural differences, then you’re not attentive to the records and practices. You speak with such rash, false, unrefined oversimplification. It’s not scholarly nor disciplined commentary.
I could present a myriad of issues, but let me spell out just one of them. If you’re inconsiderate of your fellow Americans, perhaps empathy for helpless animals will tap into your reckless thought processing.
In the past two years the USDA has accelerated the slaughter of pigs and chickens to reckless speeds. These extremely fast slaughter lines are directly linked to rougher handling of animals, increased use of painful electric prodding—and even worse, more animals scalded in hot water while still fully conscious.
Trump did that.
Countless animals continue to suffer from Trump’s abhorrent policies. His acts of moral depravity are too long to list, but this highlight reel provides insight into his disregard for the welfare of animals.
About 99% of all animal suffering happens to factory-farmed and aquatic animals. The numbers are staggering–trillions of animals. In 2018, Trump’s USDA rolled back regulations for an Obama-era animal welfare rule, which provided for better treatment of farmed animals whose products are labeled “organic.” The rule allowed birds to move freely, stretch their wings, stand normally, and engage in natural behaviors.
Nine nonprofit environmental groups rated Trump the worst president for our environment in American history. His lack of concern for aquatic and wildlife has caused animals incalculable suffering. His denial of climate change and decision to pull out of the Paris Climate Accord to maximize corporate profits and his failure to enact plans to combat greenhouse gas emissions pose an existential threat to every animal and human on the planet.
In 2016, under the Obama administration (with Joe Biden), the USDA issued 4,944 animal cruelty citations. As evidence of Trump siding with the abusers over animals, in 2018, Trump’s USDA issued only 1,716. He also put Scott Pruitt and Andrew Wheeler in charge of the EPA, two notorious foes of regulations that protect animals.
Over the past few years, we’ve watched the Trump Administration pursue an anti-environmental agenda. According to a New York Times investigation, at least 100 rollbacks of environmental protections have been completed or are in progress, including:
12 protections for wildlife and animals
27 controls for air pollution and emissions
19 safeguards to protect our land and water from drilling and extraction
42 other rules or regulations on everything from toxic waste to infrastructure.
To make matters worse, Trump’s USDA removed thousands of animal abuse records from its website in an effort to protect animal abusers–a decision widely condemned by animal rights organizations.
This decision made it harder for Americans to find out which puppy mills, research facilities, and zoos, for example, are complying with animal protection laws.
But you’ll sit here on your uniformed perch as say that there’s minimal difference between Trump and Biden. That is grotesquely inaccurate. It’s in fact preposterous.
For all the suffering to humans, animals, environment and ICE victims, your wasted write-in vote to send the DNC a message is foolish and it’s directly contributing to that suffering. You will rightly have blood on your hands.
There’s such a thing as addition by subtraction. You fail to comprehend that.
Okay. This is exactly what I’m talking about. I lived on a farm that produced top-tier ethical, meet-the-farmer blah blah meat, and there were some days I felt completely sick looking at how the animals were treated. Regulations and seals of approval mean very little. You can have organic goat cheese and still kill every baby boy goat with a kick on the head the day it’s born (true for most goat farms). So if you are telling me that the difference between Biden and Trump is animal ethics it’s not even worth talking about. We animals don’t have rights in this country. We can’t even agree on what it means to have grass-finished beef or cage-free hens. It’s all BS.
So what I’m saying is that the DNC and the RNC speak in a language that is full of BS and then we tell ourselves there are differences between the candidates but there aren’t. Look, you’re talking about differences in animal treatment. And I can promise you that farmers — even farmers who love animals dearly — treat animals in ways that would make you sick. They have to or they wouldn’t be able to make money.
Because that’s how our government has set things up. And neither party wants to change that.
Penelope
You are completely losing all face. Did you even read what I wrote? My goodness.
Again, your display is low grade street talk (“it’s all bs,” etc) with not a worthy point in the mix.
The endangered species, wildlife protections, drilling in the Arctic, and a long list of moves against animal abuse reporting are clear facts. Speed lines in slaughterhouses are measured and matter. You haven’t a clue what you’re saying. I’m fact, this is your worst display in the history of your now disgraced blog. Your counters only affirm your fall from grace.
So inconsiderate and shortsighted.
Make your vote count, vote Libertarian!
I happen to think we are headed that way right now. I was scared to write that, though. I do actually care if I sound like an uninformed insane person. I want us to be socialist. I want there to be a revolution.
Penelope
You do sound like an uninformed dangerous person. I won’t say insane, but this whole sequence from you is fucked up.
Penelope, if you’d ever actually lived in a socialist country which is an euphemism for communist, you’d never wish it on any country…
I left a socialist country. I waited in bread lines in a socialist country. I walked isles of stores where there were only 3 different kinds of items to buy. Bread, milk and something random you wouldn’t need or eat.
It blows my mind how people from one of the most advanced couturiers in the world who, by standards of the rest of the world are privileged without an exception, wish for socialism. I can’t explain it any other way than to say it’s innocently ignorant yet inexcusable.
This is so true. Name ONE successful socialist/ communist country in which the citizens are free and happy.
To be honest, my heart is socialist (I did a lot of research on this for my last novel). But human beings are selfish by nature, and socialism strips them of the will to compete. It drains them of energy and imagination. Sad but true.
As someone who grew up in a socialist country and waited in bread lines, I find it shocking how so many people who’ve never lived through socialism wish for it…
If your residency has changed and you are voting in Massachusetts, then fine, leave the vote blank or write in whatever and maybe Biden will end up under 70%. I hope you will vote in the primary NOW for Ed Markey and if you are in MA-4 pick one of the many congressional candidates; so many running, until we have ranked choice voting, someone is going to go to Congress on the strength of a few thousand votes. I’m sorry Biden hasn’t earned your vote. He’s not my first choice either. But the revolution faltered. Bernie could not deliver. Warren is too smart. If Biden wins they remain relevant. If Trump wins, it’s over. Maybe a revolution is possible, but it will take a lot more than voting to make it happen.
I signed up for your newsletter because your perspectives challenged me to examine some of my taken for granted thinking. I didn’t always agree, but I liked wrestling with my biases.
You can’t imagine how surprised I was to read your post on Biden and the Democratic Party. To be clear, I am not happy with either the Republicans or the Democrats. Neither party seems to be listening to what citizens are telling them with all the activism that has been inspired by the results of the 2016 election. It is why I’ve more active in local politics.
And your solution to say you’re writing-in Sanders on your ballot is soooooo 2016. Did you not see how badly that played out for this country in 2016?
Biden is not my first, second, or even my third choice. I’m voting for Biden. Our democracy, republic won’t survive another 4 years of Trump’s attack. For now, I view Biden as a transition President. He will hold the space. Give us 4 years to rebuild our country and replace the 2 dominant parties.
Please reconsider. Please approach this situation rationally, perhaps even from a business perspective. You have two job applicants–you can only select one. One is clearly incompetent, and personally repellant. The other is imperfect, but has a far better grasp of the job. Who do you pick? The one who will do the best job.
Hello!
Canadian here. Love you Penelope, have looked forward to your blogs and insights for years.
However, am looking on with amazement at your political ‘gong-show’ manifested through Trump and with horror and concern at the Republican enablers who prop him up. The fact that any American would even consider casting a vote in that direction again appears….crazy. Full stop, don’t care your region, social or economic status.
Things in America appear to be moving quickly away from democracy, decency and strength.
Not sure you still have the ‘luxury’ of considering the comparatively minor defects of the current Democratic candidates. And please, even Canadians have complete fatigue re: ‘fake news!’
Our border is currently closed due to COVID, and majority of Canadians are very ok with that. 160,000 Americans dead my last count (!) and the the other social issues you face seem just as….tragic.
Wishing you all the best but this blog makes absolutely zero sense.
So ‘sorry’ to say :(
A vote FOR Biden ensure that there will be a next time…
I give you a lot of credit for putting yourself out there on this, and I totally get where you’re coming from. But Trump is already, brazenly and cruelly, destroying our lives, our communities, and our earth AND PUTTING A STAKE IN THE HEART OF OUR ALREADY DUBIOUS POLITICAL PROCESS. This election is a chance for “we the people” to slow the destruction and regain some leverage against a slide into autocracy, even if the Democratic candidate is not a perfect option. Please reconsider your position regarding how you use your vote.
Penelope – do you remember when Trump was first elected and some wise historians and journalists warned us not to become accustomed to the new normal that his slow drip of appalling moral, behavioral, and administrative shifts would create?
I’m afraid it’s happened to you and you’ve completely lost perspective – you’re comparing a flawed man who has dedicated most of his life to public service, with a sociopath hellbent on destroying a democracy he neither understands nor values.
The current state of our country leaves many of us in much greater danger and far more precarious situations than we were just 4 years ago.
We need to vote this man and this party out now, reverse the damage this administration has done as quickly as possible, and continue to do the longterm antiracist and other equal rights work that is still truly in its infancy.
These are not either/or propositions – unless we fail to see we are comparing our personal 3rd choice candidate to an actual despot, and can no longer tell the difference.
Magnificent post, J. Breacher.
You’ve made the most important points. Of course, we’ve all made points which she’s revealed she’s unable to digest or process.
The only support she has now are the credulous, embarrassing Trumpism cultists who lack any handle on their scope, all while she gripes over there not being a far more leftist socialist available to vote for. Confirms plenty.
Tellingly, many Republicans have had enough of Trump as well for the reasons you cite.
Always amusing when Obama-lovers criticize current candidates. That tells me they didn’t pay attention to what Obama was doing. He had a great manner, for sure. But he was a crap negotiator when we needed someone like Hilary for the first term, and his record on militarizing the police and border policy is pretty conservative/extreme. And he, like so many Boomers, believed in the hyperindividual form of government, not understanding the complexity of what he was proposing and how he actually boosted the executive power of the Presidency by working around democratic process to push ACA too fast, and without enough research.
Carol, that’s what you get from this? You’re amused when Obama fans critique the largely incompetent, corrupt, and obviously racist and divisive, Trump? Guess you also believe supremacists are “fine people”? Your comment really says more about you than about the dialogue taking place here 😂
If you vote for Bernie there may not be a next time. Read into that.
For one of the rare times, I disagree with you. We need your vote. Is Biden problematic? Yes. Is his record bad? Yes? Do I wish Harris was less pro police? Yes. But this is about ending the most corrupt presidency in history. Biden may not be the change we want, but leaving Trump and family in office will end America as we know it.
I’m a big fan of yours and usually agree with your ideas but writing Bernie in is dumb af, this is how Trump won, this is exactly what Republicans want people to do, to write Bernie in. I have bad news for you, Bernie CANNOT win this election, even if he gets millions of write-ins, get over your high horse. Not your best writing.
Biden was not my pick, but it is extremely naive to act as if there would be no consequences to another Trump term. There are real differences that have real consequences in their policies — on climate change, on food stamps, on education funding, on racism, on protection of air and water, on funding health care, on voter disenfranchisement, on unemployment benefits during covid, and so much more. Fight for change at the local level and build an alternate political establishment if you care that much. But for now there are only two choices. As the joke says —. Choice one is shit with ground glass in it, and choice two is chicken. Saying you won’t vote for Biden at this point is like saying “I don’t like how the chicken is cooked”.
My daughter has autism and has needed extra support for health care and education. All services Trump has tried to cut and Democrats have at least tried intermittently to increase funding for.
It was procedural for Sanders nomination to be acknowledged. Biden isn’t perfect but no one is. A vote to a third party is a vote for Trump. You are a FOOL withhold a vote for Biden. Four more years of Trump and he will burn this country down to the ground and there will be more blood in the streets. Trump is a dangerous predator. I hope you come to your senses. Good luck to you because you are alienating many with this email.
I’m A black sheep here. I agree with so much Penelope writes. I love the insights she has on parenting and homeschooling. Politics are hard and there’s so much wrong all around. There are some things that I find really awful about AOC. Her smug way of blowing off Amazon for New York was horrible for New York. I don’t agree with a lot of her ideology. Biden’s son was clearly employed in a political payoff job dealing with Russia. It was an all around political payoff- pretty corrupt. Biden does seem to be at the beginning stages of Alzheimer’s. There’s some smelly stuff here. Is it possible to be a fan here and actually think Donald Trump is better than both AOC and Biden? Can a different opinion be tolerated?
Kudos to you for being a critical thinker and not letting politics blind you.
I’m shocked at how many people here feel so offended at the fact others may have different political views than what CNN is spoon feeding 24/7..
We’ve forgotten the long lost art of respectful debate.
If you think you’re a black sheep for disagreeing, then know you’re not alone.
As an immigrant woman who came to this country with $400 and 2 suitcases, worked my way through college and started a business creating jobs, I realize that would have never been possible in a socialist country. Heck, I left one for a reason.
Everyone who cries at the thought someone might have an opposing view from what CNN preaches abs guilts people into having, probably doesn’t realize their paycheck would be impossible if capitalism hadn’t encouraged the founder of their company to start it…
Dementia and socialism is not what America needs, especially after a pandemic, but of course the corrupt media will never tell is any of that..
Tanya, your post is more than a little ironic. As an immigrant woman who came to this country with nothing, you’re exactly the kind of person that Trump WANTS TO KEEP OUT (or get rid of). He’s anti-immigrant (long before COVID), and raised the financial bar so you would not even be welcome here under his presidency. Damn good thing you got in before the window closed. You are straight up unwanted, and according to Trump you are stealing opportunities from Americans. Also, forget for a moment the different ways in which CNN and Fox report the news – the only way to get the whole picture is to watch them both, plus more. The bottom line for me is that Trump is racist, and incompetent. Biden is less so. This means Biden is better for our country.
Jason, Firstly, thank you for your concerns.
I believe what you’re referring to in President Trump’s immigrant policy is directed towards illegal immigrants. The president has been clear about encouraging merit-based immigration, which is exactly the kind I have benefit from all throughout the 20+ years I’ve been in the country, as I came here on a student visa, and worked my way through work visa, merit based permanent resident status and eventually to become a naturalized US citizen.
President Trump encourages more of that, and supports more immigrants coming to the US on the basis of merit such as scholastic achievement, professional specialized experience and investment capacity. On the other hand, the president discourages illegal immigration and I fully support this.
As an immigrant who worked very hard for decades and paid taxes even though I was never entitled to the social benefits of these taxes while being an immigrant, I greatly appreciate president Trump’s immigrant policy to only allow merit based immigration, and most legal immigrants I know feel this way – because the struggle as a legal immigrant to abide the law and have a path to US citizenship is significant, immigration law is considerably harsher, and the taxes we pay we don’t benefit from in terms of social benefits if we need them…. this is the reason legal immigrants feel very strongly about not allowing illegal immigration – it’s very unfair to come here illegally, not pay taxes, not follow the law, and benefit from taxpayers in the country vs following the law, paying tens of thousands to lawyer to become a US citizen.
Of course, CNN will never tell you the legal immigrant side of the story.
I do appreciate your concern, I know it comes from a good place, but the truth is different.
I should mention I became a naturalized citizen under president Trump, and my business has been thriving creating jobs under president Trump, thanks to the pro-small business environment the Trump administration has created.
Under Biden or any other socialist – because let’s face it, if Biden gets elected, he will step down at latest by June 2021, due to impending dementia / Alzheimer’s which the media continues to hide by hiding Biden from reporter questions and from live events, using COVID as the perfect excuse – Kamala will become president and every American city will start to degrade quickly, like NYC, Chicago and San Francisco have. Just look at the mass exodus happening right now from all the liberal cities – mass exodus from NYC and San Francisco as we speak. Even liberals from these cities don’t want to vote democrat, because they see the destruction of their cities first-hand by democrat policies. I lived for a decade in NYC and left for the same reason. It’s not pro-small business.
If you currently are employed at any other organization other than he government, your paycheck would be impossible had the founder of your company not been encouraged to start and grow that business.
Hi Tanya, I understand what you are saying. We see things differently, which is okay. I did want to clarify something: one of the things I was referring to was the anti-immigrant “wealth test” that Trump tried to push through (but was blocked by court order). I was trying to say that coming to America with $400 is no longer an option. Trump does not encourage legal immigration in general. He has made multiple attempts to restrict immigration to only those people who already have enough wealth. Trump defends his actions “as a means of ensuring that immigrants are “financially self-sufficient”” So I think what you are saying is that while you were given the chance to come here with nothing and build a life, you don’t support extending that same opportunity to others?
Trump refers to “shithole countries” and tries to keep immigrants out (other than the highly educated or wealthy). If you support this, you support it. I’m not trying to change your mind, but I think it’s important to call out the stark anti-immigrant reality, which I didn’t see in your prior reply.
Hi Tanya, I wrote a reply but I don’t see it posted. In case it shows up, here is one of the examples I was trying to provide when I stated that even LEGAL immigrants (such as you were) are no longer welcome. You weren’t wealthy when you arrived. Under Trump, you are now not welcome.
Google this headline from last month: “A federal judge in New York blocked the Trump administration Wednesday night from continuing to enforce a rule that has created barriers to low-income immigrants seeking to enter the US”
Tanya, I appreciate your response. Regarding your opinion that immigration should be merit based: that is not the principle that our country was founded on. “Give is your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free…” I believe in “land of the free”, not “land of the wealthy or extremely talented”. Heck, if everyone was highly skilled or wealthy, who would want to help our farmers (as so many immigrants do)?
With respect MB there are numerous places to get information; don’t assume everyone is glued to CNN even if it is a world respected news organization. Like Jason below says, you’re the folks this administration and FOX is taking aim at; having a business is not limited to here under this President. As far as a difference of opinion, Penelope writes a blog that routinely gives advice. Her political commentary is not just an opinion like your personal instagram or facebook ramblings; this is her business. Look at the news regarding Bernies hostile work environment and campaign finance issue; information that came from his own team. His response was lukewarm at best. Like the military says, you go to war with the army you HAVE not the one you wish you had. It is unconscionable for me to equate not voting for Biden as the equivalent to accepting Trump.
Thanks for sharing your story of success. And welcoming an opposing view. I see a lot of political cronyism in both the republican and Democratic parties and I like that Trump isn’t a career politician. People are quick to criticize Trump and wealth building through capitalism. Are you kidding? Look at the Wealth building the career politicians have engaged in. Politicians are supposed to be public servants. The Clintons, if they were living on the salaries of two Arkansas lawyers, would not be multimillionaires. It’s disgusting and socialism, the big fat nanny state many here endorse, creates its own breed of wealthy gluttons- the worst kind, and it’s on all of our backs. . I have relatives who’s climb to success was similar to yours and it’s afforded me a wonderful life. I love our country and the immigrant success stories that not only built our nation but families of security, financially, physically and emotionally. Penelope has shared many painful details of her emotionally unstable upbringing with a father who clearly violated her boundaries and didn’t provide the secure environment every child deserves. I can’t help but wonder what the pitfalls of his background were. Capitalism built a higher standard of living than any other form of government. And gave rise to more liberties like respectful debate.
Well said.
The hypocrisy of the left when it comes to selectively attacking wealth is amazing. You brought up great points. President Trump even donates 100% of his salary, because he’s not in it for the money. The Clintons, the Obamas, Biden, Pelosi all enriched themselves through corruption, yet that’s a non-issue for the left.
The mere fact Penelope is getting so harshly criticized, and frankly – attacked (“white privilege” etc, etc) , by so many here shows how much democrat voters oppose democracy and diversity of opinion. So many people on this thread can’t tolerate a different opinion! I find that shocking. This platform is an expression of the first amendment and the readers trying to shame Penelope into changing her personal views is disgusting to me.
I don’t know how we got to a point of so much intolerance for diversity of opinions, but I suspect the mainstream media has a part in that.
I digress… but all to say, we’re all benefactors of the fruits of capitalism, as you well pointed out. Including everyone here asking for socialism, while typing from a laptop that many people in actual socialist countries can barely afford… to that I say – if you want to live in a socialist country – make your pick. There’s plenty of choices left, still… Go try it for yourself, and then make an informed choice. The socialist utopia sold by the far left is just that – a utopia.
Spoken like a true Trump-Drunk conservative Republican.
Your phony encouragement for diversification is a thin, hollow disguise of your anti-left, pro Trump persuasion.
Penelope is pouting over her man Bernie (whom is by far more left of you) not having the nomination and somehow falsely blames the party for putting Biden there when in fact it was the voters. She is wasting her vote in a spiteful and hapless attempt to send her aloof message to the party.
Being disgruntled over a two party race vs more parties is not a logical reason to help put the polar contrasting person (Trump) of her own socialist ideals. Bernie himself has told this rebellious crowd the same thing. The AOC would tell her that.
If Bernie Sanders himself were reading this forum, he would tell her that directly.
The cult of Trumpism has to go.
Even an increasing amount of Republicans realize that, too.
Jason, I hear your point about the legal immigration changing too. You may have a point, and I certainly don’t support the “wealth” rule over the “opportunity” rule.
My argument was strictly on illegal immigration which is the cornerstone of the Trump administration policy.
My personal view is that immigration should be merit-based. The reason for that is that living in America is a privilege and if people coming here are not bringing contributions, whether in the form of scholastic achievement, professional achievement, unique specialized experience, or any other contribution or the potential for contribution, then they should step aside and let the next qualified person come here. This is the only way the country will prosper – by bringing the best talent here.
Chris, thank you for proving my point so well.
Add me to the list of longtime Penelope Trunk followers who are considering stopping reading you. Disliking Biden but advocating pretending we don’t live in a two-party system or that Biden is somehow worse than four more years of Trump, who is literally destroying America, is shockingly irresponsible. Did you mean that you support AOC? She’s voting for Biden. So when you find out you’re mistaken about that, you just delete it?
Jason,
Trump is seeking to keep out and deport illegal immigrants. That’s obvious. In his own business he hires many legal immigrants. This is outright misinformation on your part.
You’re wrong when you say “outright misinformation”. Your reply states that Trump hires immigrants at his hotels as if that has anything at all to do with the policies he enacts for the entire country. It doesn’t. Is that really your argument? Think it’s hard to find an example of Trump saying one thing and doing another? Nope. He is anti “ballot harvesting” but he uses one for his and Melania’s ballots. He’s frets about Biden’s son making money based on his relationship to his dad, but look at how many of Trump’s children and family members are taking salaries that are paid for by the American taxpayer? He’s hypocritical on many fronts. Anyway, I’m not denying the push to minimize illegal immigration. I was referring to the barriers Trump has put in place (or tried and failed to put in place) to curb LEGAL immigration. Are you not researching this? It’s actually staggering. Google this headline from last month: “A federal judge in New York blocked the Trump administration Wednesday night from continuing to enforce a rule that has created barriers to low-income immigrants seeking to enter the US”
Jason,
The hard truth here is there’s a huge conspiracy against the only non-political globalist, Donald Trump. Google, CNN, the New York Times, they are rightly accused of being fake news. Unfortunately researching through google will not yield reliable truth. The public smear campaign against Trump is similar to the waves of propaganda used by the globalists who aligned with Adolf Hitler to attempt a world take over leading up to WWII. I do t personally love everything about Donald Trump but he is literally saving the sovereignty of our nation, our freedom, and our way of life.
Oh, you’re a conspiracy theorist? That explains a lot. You didn’t mention Fox News, so what do you day this this story (link below)? Fox News recently called out some of Trump’s lies. Do you believe that Fox News is part of a global smear campaign against the president?! Also, how do you know so well that Trump is great? Do you know him personally? Clearly you are at least partially informed by the media, that you can’t trust, so how did he become such a savior in your eyes?
https://www.good.is/fox-news-host-fact-checked-trumps-lie-about-joe-biden-to-his-face-and-the-president-came-up-empty
“A huge global conspiracy”?! That’s all you can come up wit(ph to justify your support of an incompetent, divisive, and racist failure of a president? Was it a conspiracy when he filed bankruptcy SIX TIMES? I’m starting to think that blaming conspiracies is what lazy people do when they don’t want to think critically. Just blame a massive, worldwide, coordinated conspiracy (as if any global entity could actually coordinate ANYTHING without screwing it up). Ask yourself this: what evidence would I have to see in order to believe that Trump is not as awesome as I think he is?”. If the answer is “nothing”, then you have literally lost your critical-thinking ability, and at that point, what are you? A sheep? A lost lamb? I don’t know, but I’m worried about you.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Violence_Against_Women_Act
The anti-metoo candidate? Really?
This is a voice of incredible privilege – because you are a white cisgender woman past childbearing age you can probably survive another four years of Trump in office (although with his handling of COVID, who knows?). There are so many disenfranchised people who will not survive another term – literally, Trump’s policies and influence put not just their livelihoods but their lives at risk. I’m glad you can afford to protest vote and wait it out for the perfect candidate but the rest of us don’t have that luxury. For someone who claimed just recently to be checking her privilege, you’re doing a lousy job. I’m so deeply disappointed and am unsubscribing.
Yes. And it’s especially rich that her even-more-privileged son is now weighing in on the conversation. Just what we need is the voice of a white male who has grown up being chauffeured around and spirited to lessons and homeschooled and allowed to, like, “explore his dreams” while the rest of us toil and work and try to survive day to day while dodging unemployment, a plague and racial unrest.
But sure, sure… I’ll take my chances on another four years of Trump to make my point.
Instead of waiting until 75 days before the election and whining and crying about your choices, how about putting in some hard work at the local level so that a third-party system could become a national-level reality at some point? Nope – it’s easier to pull a Susan Sarandon and get an extra few hundred clicks on your blog.
Are you kidding????
Penelope is nurturing her children as a single mom and busting her butt to do so. Your radical entitled opinion is so off the mark it’s frightening. What Penelope is, Is not privileged, it’s called sacrificing to give her children a better life. She’s not waiting for a government program to raise her boys she’s creatively figuring out how to give them a more positive future. Her approach is actually the capitalism approach, creativity, self reliance, ingenuity. It uplifts generations out of the slums you are apparently living in. Sadly you may not have had the type of positive parenting Penelope is working hard to provide. Had you been the recipient of such unselfish sacrificial parenting you might have a more educated perspective and more time to pass the blessings of that privilege on to your own children. People who are nurtured and in turn grow into successful contributing members of society then give back and help others. Those who are constantly drowning and unable to get by can rarely lend a hand or support to others. Sadly the government is not the answer. Strong families and self reliance are. Look at the successful Indians coming to America. They are coming in droves. Why? Because they work hard, have parents who toil and tutor you give their children an intellectual edge and they have a very strong family culture. They are welcome immigrants. They contribute in tech, medicine, culinary arts and many other endeavors. They’re never looking for a handout and they’re culture is not Christian but strongly discriminated against sexual immorality and sex outside of marriage. Hmmm, traditional Judeo-Christian values that breed success. I wonder why?
Privilege comes from successful upbringings not from government.
Wow – you’re really all-in on the myth of Penelope, huh?
She grew up rich – yes, in an abusive household, which I wouldn’t wish on anyone – but wealthy nonetheless. That put her on third base automatically. The rest of us have had to work to get to where she started. Privilege comes from money.
And LOL that I live in the “slums.” In fact, I live in a pretty nice town about six miles outside of Boston, Penelope’s current attempt to escape from herself.
I’m solidly middle class and I’m doing fine. My child is, too. But, again, we have to work for a living. We have to send our kid to school, like most other people in this country. We don’t have the luxury of just deciding that education is a false construct and we’re all going to chase our dreams to farms and cello lessons and communes and cramped apartments and wild adventures. Because we need to eat and we need shelter. So the fact that she and her out-of-touch kid are going to try to lecture *me* on what’s smart and right in this *extremely critical* moment in time is laughable. If you can’t see the privilege in that, I don’t know what to tell you.
I’ve been reading her nonsense for years and taking it with a grain of salt – and this one has gone too far. Not because I care about what *she* does, but because I’m scared that other people trust her advice and might take it when it’s so, so glaringly bad.
LBD – yes. It prompted me to comment out of fear others might believe what she is saying and follow her to lala land.This is the end of the world as we know it, if he is re-elected or we don’t hold elections or he won’t leave or…..
I was a young adult during the Vietnam Wars. I’ve never heard so many people talking about making alternate plans to leave this country if he is elected again. Scary.
Being raised with money in the family is a blessing. It happens because the generation before worked hard and made wise choices . Families are expected to do that for each other. The greatest success manual ever written, the Bible, states: a good man leaves an inheritance to His children’s children. Gods idea is for families to stick together, to build wealth, to be self reliant, and give their children an advantage and security. It’s such a blessing to come from generations of wise progenitors as I did. Because I have not had to work I have been able to raise four children and support neighbors in times of crisis. I have been afforded the opportunity to be a hands on calm mother and partner to my spouse. This does not make me an evil person I’m not taking from others, I’m giving.
Yes, yes, and yes. I’m in California so I can cast a “protest” vote with impunity. The DNC’s behavior is repugnant at best and arrogant at worst. This approach is why they lost last time. They deserve to lose with an approach like this. They ran a POS campaign last time and clearly, they plan on doing the same this time.
I don’t think you do posts like this for traction but it does look like you court notoriety, or even public disdain. When you didn’t post It for two weeks, you were having messages from somewhere in yourself that it wasn’t a good idea. And yet you went ahead anyway. Seems like self sabotage to me. And unfortunately for the rest of us, dangerous to the planet.
This is not good. We will basically be handing the office over to Trump and we know all too well what that will look like. You can negotiate with Biden and he will listen to Congress. Enough with the sabotage. I am a black woman and my family can no longer deal with the effects of the current administration
Well, there are no tent poles running in this race. You can stay home, or you can do something equally pointless like write in so-and-so random candidate.
But if Biden isn’t elected, Trump will be. That isn’t some false narrative being shoved down our throats by the DNC, it’s reality.
AOC is a left-wing Donald Trump.
1. Politics is comprise.
2. Change is incremental.
I’ve heard Penelope’s line of argument before. It’s naive. “I won’t vote for X, because X is not perfect.” The irony of such a protest vote is that it makes true progress even harder to attain. Politics is like a ship turning in a harbor, it’s slow, it doesn’t seem like it’s working, it make take a few elections of non-perfect candidates, but eventually we’ll be pointed in the right direction.
Long time reader, first time commented.
While I respect your opinion, democracy is the best option we’ve got. Unfortunately you sometimes have to hold your nose with your vote. By not voting for Biden, you are effectively helping Trump. By not voting for a democratic senator, you are effectively helping Mitch McConnell, and those sycophants in the Republican Party run America into a fascist country. There’s way too many news articles and experiences out there that prove this case.
BTW folks who are tagging on AOC, as a Canadian who’s read her policies… a lot of what she’s asking for is already here in your northern neighbour. And we are doing OK. So are a lot of European countries too.
America has always been a conservative country. Progressive policies take a long time to whittle down there. Hope you can be better, and soon. You’ve got a lot going for you but you have to have a social safety net, properly funded by taxes and solid policy and science, to help your brothers and sisters.
Good luck.
This is short-sighted and ignorant nonsense! Our very democracy is at stake. Disturbingly misguided. That’s it for my readership.
Penelope, your idealism is admirable. We would all like to have someone whom we are all proud to vote for, and we should continue to strive toward a future where that will be true.
However, you are old enough to know that voting for president is often a choice between the lesser of two evils. When you compare Biden and Trump, you should be able to easily make that choice. Then harness your idealism into effecting real change in 2024.